"Weed"

Marijuana is created from the dried leaves of the hemp plant. The name “marijuana” is derived from Mexican military slang for a prostitute or brothel. There are over 200 slang terms for marijuana in the popular vernacular. The most common names include: pot, grass, weed, hash, ganja, high grade, kaya and sinsemilla. The scientific name for marijuana is Cannabis.
Several drug types can be produced from the cannabis plant. The common types being herbal cannabis (produced from leaves and flowers of the plant), cannabis resin commonly referred to as hashish (a pressed secretion of the plant) and sensimilia – Spanish for without seeds (made from the unfertilized buds of the female plant.

Marijuana is said to be useful medicine for nausea, rheumatism and labor pains. Strong supporters of the drug believe it has significant value for those suffering from AIDS, glaucoma, cancer and epilepsy. In fact, several studies have been published that support and document this belief.The hemp plant which produces marijuana has a lot of other uses. When harvested, this plant can be used for clothing, sails and rope. It is a noteworthy fact that the two drafts of the United States Declaration of Independence were written on paper made from hemp.

The cannabis plant can grow in nearly any environment hence its growth in almost every part of the world. Marijuana was first used as a medicinal drug in 2737BC by Chinese emperor Shen Nung. The Emperor witnessed first hand, the drug effectiveness in treating the pains of rheumatism and gout.
Marijuana is the most common illegal drug used in the United States of America. After alcohol, it is the most popular recreational or mood altering drug used worldwide. In 1996, California became the first US State to legally allow medical marijuana for patients. In 2003, Canada became the 1st Country in the world to offer medical marijuana to pain suffering patients.

The use of Cannabis has been highly justified by many. In fact, popular icons such as artists and actors are known to be using or to have ever used the drug at some point. The irony is that most of these individuals are high achievers in their professions which could act as further proof to critics that marijuana is not that bad.According to Rastafarians, marijuana is the healing of the nations. It is usually attributed to have the ability to make the truth more clear. They also consider it as a way of being close to nature. Smoking marijuana symbolizes the burning of the corruption from the human heart – “the herb is the key to new understanding of the self, the universe and God. The vehicle to cosmic consciousness.”

The primary active ingredient in marijuana is THC (delta 9 tetrhydrocannabinol). The THC ingredient in marijuana acts on cannabinoid receptors on our nerve cells and influences the activity of these cells. Many of these receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception and co-ordinated movement.
Marijuana also increases the heart beat by 20 to 50 beats per minute within a few minutes of smoking it. The risk involved is a major heart attack. Moreover, the marijuana smoke has more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke and since smokers inhale deeper and hold the smoke in their lungs longer than tobacco smokers, their lungs are more exposed to the harmful properties of the smoke.
Smokers of marijuana have a high risk of cancer than tobacco smokers. The marijuana smoke contains 3 times the amount of tar found in tobacco smoke and 50 percent more carcinogens.

Inspite of all the facts that point to the harmful effects of marijuana, most of the findings and assumptions are not full proof. Research into the marijuana menace has not been utterly conclusive though some of it has borne some undeniable concerns. However, the ultimate bottom line is that marijuana is a drug that can both harm as well as cure its consumer.